Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman will make history later this month as the first Black head coach to lead his team in the College Football National Championship.

Freeman, 39, and Notre Dame defeated Penn State 27-24 in the Orange Bowl semifinal game on Thursday, Jan. 9, punching their ticket to the national championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Jan. 20.

The head coach, whose father is Black and mother is South Korean, is also the first head coach of Asian descent to lead his team in the college football national title game, according to CBS.

After Notre Dame’s semifinal win, Freeman said in his postgame interview that he was honored by the opportunity, adding, “I’ve said this before: I never want to distract the team’s attention.”

Related: Who is Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard’s girlfriend? All About Molly Walding (And Her High School Love Story)

“It’s an honor and I hope that all coaches – minorities, black, Asian, white, whatever, great people – continue to have opportunities to lead young men in this way,” Freeman continued.

“But this isn’t about me. It’s about us. We’re going to celebrate what we did because it’s so special.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

NFL legend and Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders reacted to Freeman becoming the first Black head coach in a post on X. “Congratulations my brother,” Sanders, 57, wrote.

Notre Dame’s win on Thursday provided several feel-good moments for Freeman’s team, including quarterback Riley Leonard adorably calling for his girlfriend Molly Walding to give her an orange after the confetti fell on the field.

Had Notre Dame not prevailed in the semifinals, Penn State’s James Franklin would have become the first Black head coach to make it to the CFP National Championship.

Freeman is now in his third season as head coach at Notre Dame, taking over the position following the departure of Brian Kelly in 2021. His record with the team is now 34-9.

Notre Dame and Freeman will find out Friday night whether they will face Texas or Ohio State — Freeman’s alma mater — in the championship game.

Read the original article on People